Erich, Tim, and Evan pulled out of our driveway at the crack of dawn....I took a few pictures of their departure, but they are on the camera that Tim took with him so I'll have to share the photos from the trip to Nashville when they get home.

I left for work as soon as they pulled out and immediately found myself in a classroom where a little girl's head was hurting and who was very clearly having a tough start to her day.   Seeing this little girl so fragile and so sad reminded me that while I may think my life is "sad" sometimes, the truth is this:  I have no idea what many of the student's in our school's live with on a daily basis.  It breaks my heart even tonight thinking of this little girl and wondering if she is in a home where someone cares.

Many kids in our society today do not know what it feels like to have someone love them deeply.  Please whisper a prayer for children tonight who might be hungry, scared, mistreated, or just lonely.  And thank God for any chance you have to be a person who shares God's love with the world's hurting people.

Well, as I stepped out of my "sad mom" morning and began to see the pain of others around me, I was quickly reminded that this phase of life is a normal  and healthly one for young men and women......and God somehow transformed my heart of sadness about the chapter of life that is closing into a heart of thankfulness for the chapters still to be written.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            I talked to Erich tonight on the phone, and he sounded so happy.  He is starting a new chapter..........

And as his life pages begin to turn in Nashville,

there are pages turning right here in Grayson for Olivia and many of her friends who had their opening night in the musical "Annie!"

Yes, after months of after-school practices, Mrs. Messer has done it again!  She has taken a group of pre-teens and turned them into little actors and actresses!  I didn't get to take very many photos tonight because I was videotaping, but I did want to share a few that I was able to get during the warm-up performances.

I'll share more tomorrow night!

Thank you, Kim, for the "sweet" bouquet you brought Olivia!

And thank you, Richie, for coming to support the kids from church!  Having their youth minister in the audience for opening night meant a lot to all of them! (Thank you, Bradley, too!  We have such great youth ministers in our town!!)

One performance down......two more to go! 

I guess for me tonight, as I soak up what's going on here at our house this very second (1:16 a.m. on Monday night)......Olivia and a friend are sleeping after watching Avatar....Todd and two friends are playing Zelda in the living room (no school tomorrow).......a college student is writing a paper upstairs (he's staying with us for the month of May)...... and Tim, Erich, and Evan are sleeping in Erich's new home in Tennessee after a big day of carrying lots of "stuff" to a third floor apartment.....

I understand the words more and more......

I John 2:28

And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

Yes, while we're here, we have to CONTINUE in Him!

The show must go on until He returns!!